Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who pundits have counted out more than once since the campaign for the Republican presidential nomination began, thumped his competition today to easily win South Carolina's GOP primary. We live blogged as the news came in. Scroll down and "read up" if you want to see how the night's news developed. And if you're interested, click here to see our live blogging on the night of the New Hampshire primary and click here for our live blogging when Iowans held their caucuses.